Message from Pope Leo XIV

Message of his Holiness Leo XIV
For World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly
 
Dear brothers and sisters, Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord promises that he will never forget any of us. He assures us that he has engraved our faces on the palms of his hands (cf. Is 49:16) and that his love is greater than a mother’s love for her child (cf. Is 49:15). These words fill us with comfort and hope. How often in Sacred Scripture…does prayer spring from the despair of those who feel that their lives are of no interest to anyone and are being neglected! The painful feeling of being forgotten is…shared by many people, and among them are quite a few elderly people…This…happens in homes where loneliness reigns and in those care facilities where a person’s uniqueness risks being reduced to a bed number or an illness.
 
The World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly is an opportunity to rediscover that the Church is called to be a mother to all…May this day…be an inspiration for everyone, especially the young, to revive the beautiful custom of visiting their grandparents, the elderly members of the family and those who have no one to visit them…Ensure that the words of the prophet, “But I will never forget you,” take the form of a tender encounter. “In an era that favors speed and fragmentation, the human person still yearns to receive care from…attentive minds, kind words, and hands capable of tenderness. The digital culture multiplies connections and offers new opportunities for interaction; yet the human heart retains an irrevocable need for genuine closeness” (Magnifica Humanitas, 239). The Church knows well that they [the elderly] are too often viewed through the lens of stereotypes and considered a burden.
 
For many, the discovery of God’s tenderness takes place…even in its final stages. Indeed…it is increasingly common to reach old age without having had a genuine experience of faith. In such cases, old age—can become the right time to begin or resume a spiritual life. On this new journey…It is never too late to begin turning to the Lord.  It is…more important than ever to reflect…on what our vocation might be when fragility—seems to take over…Do not be afraid of fragility! It is precisely this weakness that holds within itself a new potential that also illuminates the other stages of life. a man and a woman can be born anew in old age…This strength can become an invitation …to the ways of reconciliation and true peace.   
 
Leo  p.p XIV 
15 June 2026